Zinaida Portnova Argumentative Essay

Many would argue that a murderer shouldn’t receive an award of bravery, however, I believe it is important to view all sides of a story. On that note, I am recommending Zinaida Portnova for The Harper Lee Moral Courage Award. Portnova was a seventh grade student when Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, and hated the Germans after an incident where Nazi troops hit her grandmother while confiscating cattle. After this event, she sought justice through joining the Young Avengers, a Belarusian resistance movement with the Komsomol organization. She went on to kill upwards of 100 German soldiers in an operation where she sabotaged actions at a pump, brick factory, and local power plant. In another act as a kitchen aid, she poisoned food being served to Nazis. Falling suspect, Portnova plead innocent and ate the tainted food in front of the Nazis to prove that it was not poisoned. …show more content…
Zinaida Portnova made daring decisions to assassinate Nazis despite her age. She had no prior affiliation with the Nazis, and it wasn’t her duty to harm them. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security; although Portnova did not directly reinforce this right herself, she did contribute to allow others this right. Acting against the Nazis, Zinaida Portnova, much like Atticus Finch, risked her life and her innocence. At the age of 14 she began her acts with the Young Avengers, cutting her childhood short. Due to her acts, she was killed at the age of 17 by the secret police associated with Nazi Germany. Portnova went on to be the youngest woman declared Hero of the Soviet Union, and received many awards in her